First of all, let me start by saying that I know the title to this post is cheesy BUT it did catch your attention, didnt it?! (Or is it just me?!).
WHAT I READ
This year seems to be a lucky charm, I may just finish the Goodreads Book challenge for once! Every day that I had time I have spent on reading books for the past few weeks. Should make a promise to myself to keep at it!
THE GUEST LIST- LUCY FOLEY
A really good book for a thriller. Its the story of a group of friends who get together for a friend's wedding- a wedding where someone dies. Whodunnit makes the story. The best part about the writing is that it can take you to the moors and waters of Ireland! So well described that it took my mind off the fact that I have been recently feeling depressed about not having been able to travel for the past 1 year! The story itself is good- in that, since the beginning, each chapter is a good read and you just cannot guess that mind-blowing twist in the end. No wonder this book won the Goodreads Best Thriller last year
IF HE WAKES- ZOE LEA
This is a story of 2 friends, who have secrets that can destroy them. As I said on my Goodreads review, the story would have been just perfect had the author stopped it right in the middle when a big twist is revealed. The rest of the book drags on to no end for some unwanted movie-like dramatic scenes. I would give this book a 3/5
LOCK EVERY DOOR- RILEY SAGER
This is a fiction about a mysterious-and-unfortunate-events-infested apartment called as The Bartholomew. The protagonist moves in here as a sitter (I had no idea that there are jobs like this in the first world!) and goes on to find that those unfortunate events may not have been completely accidental after all. While the premise of the book can make for a good movie and the first half keeps you hooked, the later part was a no-no for me. I am getting a feeling that some of the good authors have difficulty in closing their books right.
EIGHT PERFECT MURDERS - PETER SWANSON
The protagonist who is a library shop owner writes a blogpost of a list of 8 perfect murders in books. A few years later, there is a killer on the loose who seems to have taken inspiration from this list. An FBI agent and our man try to solve the murders. All in all, its a good book- interesting throughout. I didnt find any chapters written for the sake of filling pages or dragged on without reason- this is my idea of a good book btw
THE VANISHING HALF- BRIT BENNETT
What a refreshing book this was. Written intelligently about twin sisters from a small town who go on to live separate lives. I have to make a mental note to read such books because they throw light on problems that are plaguing the world (in the middle of a plague like pandemic) right now- one of the most important conversations being around race. It helps you understand how the color of your skin defines you and can also define your future. Written with so much sincerity and honesty, this book really touched a chord.
ANIMAL FARM- GEORGE ORWELL
Let's just say that I have decided that I will only voice out my political opinions on my Whatsapp Status and on Twitter (much to the annoyance of all of my contacts)!! So, even though I have plenty of thoughts on this and draw a parallel between the story and what's happening in my country, I will refrain from putting those up here on my blog. Since I began writing here, I have committed towards pop culture, so I will continue to do that.
THE WIVES- TARRYN FISHER
Please * Dont * Pick * This * Book at any cost!! My god, what a waste of a book! I have recently been feeling like I should hold myself from criticizing a book too much because someone has spent their time and energy into writing and getting one published. But I cant stop from saying that this has got to be the worst book I have ever read in my life (tied with Audrey Neffenegger's "Her Fearful Symmetry"). Like one of the reviewers on Goodreads rightly points out, you cannot use mental illness as a twist! That just seems so wrong. The less said about this book the better, honestly.
WHAT I WATCHED
I have come to a realization that Amy Adams is a really good actor. I know everyone has said so but I had an unknown dislike for her all this while! Although both her roles in Woman in the Window and Sharp Objects were emotionally disturbed women, she has played them both so distinctively and appropriate to the story, the age of the character and what each of them goes through.
SHARP OBJECTS
It took me days to finally finish this show because of its explicit display of self harm. I keep myself away from watching such stuff but I wanted to understand all the brouhaha around the book by Gillian Flynn and the show's good rating on IMBD. I have to say that I belong to the minority that did not like this show. While the story is your regular thriller fare, the exaggerated twists and excessive footage of self harm were a put off for me. That said, the entire cast of Amy Adams, Eliza Scanlen, Patricia Clarkson and Chris Messina has really delivered with their performances. Eliza is the breakout star of the show without doubt!
WOMAN IN THE WINDOW
I bought the book back in 2018, attempted to read it many many times but I just couldn't! So when the trailer for the show premiered on Netflix and showed some good cinematography, I wanted to give this a try. I thought that I might not have had a good imagination to go through the book (because in my mind, it was difficult to imagine the place setting or an agoraphobic woman), so some visuals could help me understand it. Unfortunately, I was wrong, the story IS disappointing! Amy Adams and Julianne Moore (the pretty Julianne!) are the only saving grace of the show. If you ask me, save yourself time and dont watch it!
BLOODLINE
This has got to be one of the best shows out there. The story is compelling and as real as it can get. Unfortunately, I read that they got cancelled abruptly so they have done what best they could with the ending- I wont hold it against them because if there were more seasons, I am sure the story would have continued to be enthralling.
Its about the Rayburn family living in the picturesque Islamorada in Florida. The black sheep of the family, Danny returns home and brings with him unending devastation! The wonderful line-up of actors - Kyle Chandler, Ben Mendelsohn, Sissy Spacek, Norbert Leo Butz and Linda Cardellini may have done the best work of their lives on this one. Especially, tip of the hat to Kyle and Ben- you get to feel their emotions with them. Ben's Danny makes you really angry and Kyle's John makes you empathise with him even though what he does is a "bad bad thing". You justify his actions as right even though you know they are so so wrong! (PS- Kyle Chandler has aged like fine wine since Friday Night Lights!)
Unfortunately, for whatever reasons, the show got cancelled with 3 seasons. A mess of an ending does no justice to the show but I guess with little time in their hand, they did what they could. The show and its actors should have won more awards than they did imho. I wanted to write an entire post about Bloodline, I might just later.
BEHIND HER EYES
Another good show based on the book by the same name. Its a psychological thriller that introduces the audience towards the concept of lucid dreaming. Adele, David and Louise are caught up in a love triangle, or are they? Apart from the very surprising context of the story, I admire how Simona Brown's natural hair is let to be itself and have a character of its own. Bono's daughter, Ewe Hewson, in one of her first starring gigs has done an amazing job! Without revealing much, she has played 2 parts- both very distinct from each other- you are left looking for the clues of what actually happened that she changed so much.
An interesting concept (not believable for me though), good direction of the story (keeps you second guessing) and good actors make it worthwhile.
Well there goes a gist of how I spent my weekends, vegetating in front of the tab! Not that I spent them any differently before the pandemic but I intend to get out more once and if ever, we all get vaccinated in the country!
